Instructor: Dr. Akin Ogundiran
Florida International University
Dept. of History, DM 385B, University Park Campus
African-New World Studies, AC 1, Biscayne Bay Campus
Tel. 350-348-3191; 305-919-5521
Email: ogundira@fiu.edu
Office Hours: UPC:
        Tuesday: 2:00-3:00pm, and by appointment
        BBC: Monday: 2:00-3:00pm, and by appointment
Website: www.fiu.edu/~ogundira

Course Description
Students will be introduced to the historical and anthropological scholarship on the role of religion and religious encounters in the contestation for power in Atlantic Africa (from Senegambia to South Africa) during the past 500 years. The class will focus on the intersections of religion as an organic/dynamic institution of beliefs, worldviews, knowledge and ritualized practices on one hand and the construction of hegemony, authority, legitimacy, governance, new identities and societies, resistance and rebellion on the other hand, especially in the era of Atlantic slavery and the aftermath European colonial rule.

The course is oriented towards historical processes and the birth of societies/ideas rather than  specific personality or event(s). Emphasis will be on innovations of religious beliefs as critical sites for building knowledge and ideology; and the deployment of religion in social action in Africa. Students will be asked to be attentive to the dynamism of religion as a product of and an agent of historical processes, and to the indivisibility of religion and beliefs as an integral part of everyday experience. The liturgy and doctrines of specific religions are not our concern in this class. They may be relevant but only in the context of understanding historically constituted social actions.

The themes we shall address include: how religion conditioned the choices of political entrepreneurs in their construction of power, legitimacy, and authority; how competing political agents manipulated belief systems to create ideology, legitimacy, authority, etc.; how the Atlantic political economy shaped belief systems and the knowledge base, and in the process created new worldviews in Atlantic African societies; the role of religion and beliefs in African responses to the Atlantic economic systems; and how religion mediated the encounters between European colonial agents and African subjects in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Broadly, the course will address issues of meaning, intellectual traditions, and culture in historical writing; and will identify the historicity of African traditions.

At the end of the class, students are expected (1) to have a broad understanding of the major literature and ideas on religion and the state in Atlantic Africa since the sixteenth century, especially how African societies have been making meaningful actions, choices, and ideas about their everyday live as participants in the world political economic systems; (2) to master the historiography of one or more themes covered in the class; and (3) to develop an understanding of the methods and theories of conceptualizing anthropologically-infused historical research.

REQUIRED TEXTS in the bookstore (UPC)
Robert M. Baum (1999), Shrines of the Slave Trade: Diola Religion and Society in Precolonial Senegambia. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0195123920

Edna G. Bay (1998), Wives of the Leopard: Gender, Politics, and Culture in the Kingdom of Dahomey. University of Virginia Press. ISBN: 0813917924

Paula Girshick Ben-Amos (1999), Art, Innovation, and Politics in Eighteenth- Century Benin. Indiana University Press, ISBN: 0253335036.

Jean Comaroff and John Comaroff (1991), Of Revelation And Revolution: Christianity, Colonialism, and Consciousness in South Africa, Vol. 1. University of Chicago Press. ISBN: 0226114422

Elizabeth Isichei (2004), The Religious Traditions of Africa: A History. Hienemann. ISBN-13: 0325071145

Heidi J. Nast (2004), Concubines and Power: Five Hundred Years in a Northern Nigerian Palace. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN: 0816641543

David Northrup (2002), Africa's Discovery of Europe, 1450-1850. New York: Oxford University Press.  ISBN-13: 0195140842

John K. Thornton (1998), The Kongolese Saint Anthony. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 0521596497.

REQUIREMENTS
Attendance and Participation in Class Discussion: 10%
Minimum of six précis (four pages each): 30%
Participation in the Conference on "Orisa Music and Dance", including a five-page reaction essay: 10%
One lead discussion (oral and written presentation): 10%
Historiographic Research Project (25-30 pages): 40%

INSTRUCTOR WILL NOT GRANT PERMISSION FOR INCOMPLETE REQUESTS.
INSTRUCTOR WILL NOT ACCEPT LATE ASSIGNMENTS. You should speak with the instructor if you have any questions.

Attendance
Attendance, punctuality, and participation in class discussions are absolutely necessary. You may be excused for one absence (in case of emergency) but two or more absences will result in significant deduction of points.

Précis
Every student must submit a minimum of six précis throughout the semester. Each précis is based on the required reading(s) of each week, and must be submitted during the class meeting the topic is discussed. A précis must include the core argument(s) of the reading(s); a reflective assessment of the relevance of the reading(s) to the theme of the week/class; and a list of questions and commentaries for class discussion.

Lead Discussion
Beginning in Week 2, each class meeting will be led by one student. The role of a lead discussant is to present (in 30 minutes) the main arguments and summary of the readings, raise questions on methodology, sources, theories/assumptions, conclusions, and address the relevance of the reading(s) to the theme of the course. Other students will then join the discussion. Lead discussants are required to make their presentation using audiovisual materials, and submit the powerpoint presentation to the instructor. The instructor will grade both the oral and written presentations.

Historiographic Research Project
It is required that students develop and write a 25-30 page historiographic essay on a topic that addresses at least one theme of the course as described above and in the topics of the weekly seminar. Start by defining a thematic topic or question, identify the literature (articles and books) relevant to the topic/question, and discuss the current state of the secondary literature on the subject. You must work with the instructor throughout the process of this assignment, including the selection of a relevant topic, defining an argument, compilation of references, and writing the essay. The instructor must approve your topic and research theme/question(s) as well the list of references (usually a combination of journal articles and books) before you embark on writing the essay.  It is highly recommended that, when relevant, students explore sources outside the traditional field of history. These sources include archaeology, anthropology, and literature. Every student is expected to have his/her topic/argument and partial bibliography approved by the instructor not later than March 25.

The research paper must:
1. be within the scope of the class
2. contain an argument or a thesis
3. make use of the most relevant secondary sources on the subject
4. address issues of methodology and theories in the existing literature.
5. be of publishable quality

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense. It is the act of taking someone else's ideas or/and writings (including internet materials), and passing them off as your own. The penalty may include scoring an F in the affected paper or in the whole course, or/and being subjected to other University disciplinary actions. If you are in doubt regarding what constitutes plagiarism, consult the instructor immediately. You should note that most cases of plagiarism occur because students are in a hurry to meet the deadline after neglecting the assignment until the last "minute". To avoid being haunted by the ghost of plagiarism, plan ahead, give yourself an ample time to complete your assignments, and consult with the instructor if you have questions.

Other Matters
The success of this course ultimately depends on both the students' and the instructor's efforts. Your understanding of the materials and your participation in class discussions are very important. You will receive constructive criticism of your work from the instructor. Take those criticisms as a way of improving your understanding of the course content, writing, and/or diligence. Always ask questions when you do not understand the readings and lectures. Make efforts to see the instructor during office hours.

Grading Scheme: Each paper will be assessed using the following criteria:
A, A- = An intelligent, innovative, and well organized essay that reflects a strong critical analysis of text, sophistication, and informed response.
B+ = Good essay, well organized, mostly correct in fact, grammatically accurate, and good critical analysis
B = Essay demonstrates a basic understanding of the subject and a minimally acceptable effort; omits some significant information, and contains some textual errors, and/or some weakness in critical analysis.
B-, C+ = poorly organized and contains factual errors, weak interpretation, and/or many textual infelicities.
C, C-, D = Essay demonstrates a poor understanding of the assignment, lacks the minimum acceptable effort or/and contains unjustifiable errors.
F = Essay is plagiarized.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES, READINGS, AND ASSIGNMENTS

 PART I. INTRODUCTION: AFRICAN HISTORIOGRAPHY AND ATLANTIC AFRICA
Week 1: Jan. 8
Introduction: Roadmaps to Religion, State, and Society in Atlantic Africa
Political Traditions in Africa (1000-1800)
Recommended Readings: Falola, Sudanese Kingdoms of West Africa, pp. 137-160; Kingdoms of West Africa: Benin, Oyo, and Asante, pp. 161-190; Acephalous Societies, pp. 275-296, in African History Before 1885 (Reserve)

Week 2: Jan. 15
Atlantic Africa: Conceptualizing an Historical Subject
Required Reading: David Northrup, Africa's Discovery of Europe
Recommended:
P. E. Lovejoy,  The African Diaspora: Revisionist Interpretations of Ethnicity, Culture and Religion under Slavery, Studies in the World History of Slavery, Abolition and Emancipation (1997) 1:1–23.
A. Ogundiran and T. Falola, "Pathways in the Archaeology of Transatlantic Africa," Archaeology of Atlantic Africa and the African Diaspora, eds. Akin Ogundiran and Toyin Falola, Indiana University Press (2007): 3-48.

Week 3: Jan. 22
Religion, State, and Society as Cultural History: Theory and Methodology
Required:
T. C. McCaskie, Chapter 1, State and Society in Pre-colonial Asante, 1-24 (R)
John L. Comaroff, "Dialectical Systems, History and Anthropology: Units of Study and Questions of Theory," Journal of Southern African Studies, Vol. 8, No. 2. (Apr., 1982), pp. 143-146.
Hans Medick, "'Missionaries in the Rowboat'?: Ethnological Ways of Knowing as a Challenge to Social History," Alf Lutdke, ed., The History of Everyday Life (Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1995): 41-71. (R)
Peter Burke, Chapter 12: Unity and Variety in Cultural History” in Varieties of Cultural History (Cornell University Press, 1997). (R)
Lynn Hunt, "Introduction: History, Culture, and Text," in The New Cultural History, pp. 1-22. (R)

Recommended:
Robert Ulin, "Introduction," "Hermeneutics and Critical Anthropology: The Synthesis of Practical and Critical Reason," Understanding Cultures: Perspectives in Anthropology and Social Theory (Blackwell Publishers 2001), pp. 1-25; 139-181. (R)

Week 4: Jan. 29
NO CLASS [“Each student will work on the topic/outline of his/her historiographic essay”]

Week 5: Feb. 5
Religion in African History: An Overview
Required: Elizabeth Isichei, The Religious Traditions of Africa : A History (Hienemann, 2004)
Each student must submit a paragraph description of his/her likely historiographic essay.

 PART II. RELIGIOUS INNOVATIONS AND THE STATE IN THE AGE OF ATLANTIC SLAVERY

Week 6: Feb. 12
Religious Innovations and Atlantic Slavery: Senegambia Example
Required: Robert M. Baum, Shrines of the Slave Trade: Diola Religion and Society in Precolonial Senegambia

Recommended:
Pat Uche Okpoko and Paul Obi-Ani, "The making of an oligarchy in the Bight of Biafra: Perspectives on the Aro ascendancy," in Akin Ogundiran, ed., Precolonial Nigeria (Africa World Press, 2005): 425-446.

Week 7: Feb. 19
Ideology, Knowledge and Belief in Dahomey Kingdom
Required: Edna G. Bay, Wives of the Leopard: Gender, Politics, and Culture in the Kingdom of Dahomey

Recommended:
Robin Law, Dahomey and the Slave Trade: Reflections on the Historiography of the Rise of Dahomey," Journal of African History, 27, 2 (1986): 237-267.
Andrew Apter, "The Embodiment of Paradox: Yoruba Kingship and Female Power," Cultural Anthropology, Volume 6, 2 (May 1991), 212-229," JAH 27, 2 (1986): 237-267.
Emmanuel Akyeampong and Obeng Pashington, "Spirituality, Gender, and Power in Asante History," International Journal of African Historical Studies 28, 3 (1995): 481-508.

Week 8: Feb. 26
Power Politics and Ideological Innovations in Benin Kingdom
Required:
Paula Girshick Ben-Amos, Art, Innovation, and Politics in Eighteenth- Century Benin.
Paula Ben-Amos Girshick and John Thornton, "Civil War in the Kingdom of Benin, 1689-1721: Continuity or Political Change?," The Journal of African History, Vol. 42, No. 3. (2001), pp. 353-376.

Recommended:
Henry John Drewal, "Signs of Time, Shapes of Thought: The Contributions of Art History and Visual Culture to Historical Methods," in Writing African History, ed. John E. Philips. Univ of Rochester Press (2005): 329-347.
Uyilawa Usuanlele, "Precolonial Benin: A Political Economy Perspective," in Precolonial Nigeria, Akinwumi Ogundiran, ed. (Africa World Press, Trenton, NJ, 2005): 259-280.

Week 9: March 4
Civil War, Slavery, and Christianity in Kongo
Required: John K. Thornton, The Kongolese Saint Anthony
John Thornton, "The development of an African Catholic Church in the Kingdom of Kongo, 1491-1750," JAH 25, 2 (1984): 147-167.

Recommended:
John Thornton, "Early Kongo-Portuguese Relations: a new interpretation,"History in Africa 8 (1981): 183-203.
John K. Thornton, "On the Trail of Voodoo: African Christianity in Africa and the Americas," The Americas, Vol. 44, No. 3. (Jan., 1988), pp. 261-278.
 

Week 9: March 8
Conference on Orisa Music and Dance: Discourses of Modernity and Transnationalism
Wolfe University Center, Biscayne Bay Campus
ALL DAY: Attendance is Required

 PART III. RELIGION, RESISTANCE, REBELLION IN AFRICAN ATLANTIC WORLD

Week 10: March 11
Religious Encounters and the State in Hausaland
Required: Heidi J. Nast, Concubines and Power: Five Hundred Years in a Northern Nigerian Palace

Recommended:
Timothy Insoll, "Chapter 1" in The Archaeology of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Introduction (Cambridge University Press). (R)
Shobana Shankar, "Religion, State and Society in Hausaland: History and Politics of Incorporation in the Kano Chronicle," in Precolonial Nigeria, Akinwumi Ogundiran, ed (Africa World Press, Trento, NJ, 2005): 281-300. (R)
Sulayman S. Nyang, "Islam and Politics in West Africa," Issue: A Journal of Opinion, Vol. 13. (1984), pp. 20-25.

Week 11: March 18
Spring Break--- No Class

Week 12: March 25
Rebellion, Jihad, and Muslim Empires in the Atlantic Age
Required:
Martin Klein, "The Impact of the Atlantic Slave Trade on the Societies of the Western Sudan,"Social Science History, Vol. 14, No. 2. (Summer, 1990), pp. 231-253.
Philip Curtin, "Jihad in West Africa: Early Phases and Inter-Relations in Mauritania and Senegal,"The Journal of African History, Vol. 12, No. 1. (1971), pp. 11-24.
Martin Klein, "Social and Economic Factors in the Muslim Revolution in Senegambia," The Journal of African History, Vol. 13, No. 3. (1972), 419-441.
John Willis, "Jihad fi Sabil Allah-Its Doctrinal Basis in Islam and Some Aspects of Its Evolution in Nineteenth-Century West Africa," The Journal of African History, Vol. 8, No. 3. (1967), pp. 395-415.
Marilyn Robinson Waldman, "The Fulani Jihad: A Reassessment," The Journal of African History, Vol. 6, No. 3. (1965), pp. 333-355.
Marilyn Robinson Waldman, "A Note on the Ethnic Interpretation of the Fulani Jihad," Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, Vol. 36, No. 3. (Jul., 1966), pp. 286-291.
A. D. H. Bivar, "Wathiqat ahl al-Sudan: A manifesto of the Fulani Jihad," The Journal of African History, Vol. 2, No. 2. (1961), pp. 235-243.

Recommended:
Michael Gomez, “Muslims in Early America,” The Journal of Southern History, 60,  4. (Nov., 1994), pp. 671-710. (E)
Paul Lovejoy, "Background to rebellion: the origins of Muslim slaves in Bahia," in Paul Lovejoy and Nicholas Rogers, ed., Unfree Labour in the Development of the Atlantic World (London, 1994), 151-180. (R)

 PART IV. RELIGION IN COLONIAL AND POSTCOLONIAL STATE

Week 13: April 1
Colonial State, Christian Missionary and the Making of Colonial Subject
Required: Jean and John Comaroff, Of Revelation And Revolution: Christianity, Colonialism, and Consciousness in South Africa, Vol. 1

Recommended:
Richard Gray, "Christianity and Religious Change in Africa," African Affairs, Vol. 77, No. 306. (Jan., 1978), pp. 89-100.
J. D. Y. Peel, "The Pastor and the "Babalawo": The Interaction of Religions in Nineteenth-Century Yorubaland,"
Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, Vol. 60, No. 3. (1990), pp. 338-369.
Robert Strayer, "Mission History in Africa: New Perspectives on an Encounter," African Studies Review, Vol. 19, No. 1. (Apr., 1976), pp. 1-15.
 

Week 14: April 8
Postcolonial State, Popular Consciousness, and New Age Religions
Required:
Peter Geschiere, "Chapter 1: Witchcraft as Political Discourse," in The Modernity of Witchcraft: Politics and the Occult in Postcolonial Africa (R)
Michael C. Mbabuike, "Skimming the New Waves: A Survey of New Age Religions in Nigeria,"Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 26, No. 4. (Mar., 1996), 401-413.
Birgit Meyer, "The Power of Money: Politics, Occult Forces, and Pentecostalism in Ghana," African Studies Review, Vol. 41, No. 3. (Dec., 1998), pp. 15-37.
Ruth Marshall-Fratani, "Mediating the Global and Local in Nigerian Pentecostalism," Journal of Religion in Africa, Vol. 28, Fasc. 3. (Aug., 1998), pp. 278-315.
Rosalind Shaw, "The Politician and the Diviner: Divination and the Consumption of Power in Sierra Leone," Journal of Religion in Africa, Vol. 26, Fasc. 1. (Feb., 1996), pp. 30-55.

Week 15: April 15
Religion as a Theme in Atlantic African Historiography: General Discussion, Reflections and Conclusion

Week 15: April 18
Final Paper is Due in Instructor's Office or Mailbox--- DM 385B by 5:00pm